Another woman from Texas was driving in the morning when a jogger stopped her and lured her out of her car using a story about his injured dog in the woods. When the man tried to drag her further into the woods, the woman sprayed him with pepper spray to get away.

In both instances, the most important detail to notice is that the women not only owned pepper spray, but had the canisters accessible. If the pepper spray had been left in the car or at the bottom of a purse, it would have been rendered useless. Both women should be commended for her courage and readiness.

Here are some additional tips for deterring an attacker as well as defending against one:

Trust your gut – if someone seems suspicious or you start to feel uneasy, remove yourself from the situation if you can. Go to a place where it’s well-lit and other people are around.

Be rude – many attackers use distraction techniques to attract a victim. It’s better you are perceived as unhelpful than an easy target. Check out the video below to see a demonstration of how being rude could prevent an attack.

Speak up – many times an attacker is discouraged by a loud command, like “get away from me”. If you come off as someone who will stand up for yourself, then an attacker will be less likely to target you.

Be ready – you can do everything right and bad things could still happen. You need to be mentally and physically prepared to protect yourself. This means having a defensive tool that is accessible and effective.